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Honda VFR test
Fine tuning
There are motorbikes that are just good. All around. For example the VFR. That is probably why Honda left it with detailed changes in design and engine tuning for 2006.
Pressing the start button sets a techno-acoustic masterpiece in motion: It is the only motorcycle in the world that has it VFR a V4 engine. 90 degree cylinder angle, four overhead camshafts, variable valve control VTEC, state-of-the-art injection and exhaust gas cleaning ?? unique in how much high-tech Honda builds into the VFR. And unique as it sounds with it. From gentle pouting in two-valve operation to nasty hissing over 10,000 rpm, it really delivers something for the ears. Those who are fed up with inline engines will be happy at the VFR.
Perhaps this satiety of the inline four was also the motivation for the Honda engineers, who wanted to prove in the early 80s that a V4 was superior to the inline four-cylinder. In 1985 they developed one with the original VFR 750
independent line that has been maintained to this day. And now the 2006 season is approaching slightly facelifted.
Actually there was an urgent need for action. A VFR 1000, preferably with the V5 engine from the
MotoGP racer, MOTORRAD also speculated in the late summer of last year, could succeed him. VFR owners have had more displacement on their wish-lists for some time. Because the goal of the VTEC system to combine the two-valve technology, which increases torque in the lower speed range, with the agile, lively four-valve operation in the upper speed range, hardly satisfied the customers. Switching from two to four valve actuation turned out to be a jerky, annoying affair. And compared to the current sports tourers such as a Triumph Sprint ST or a BMW R 1200 ST, the VFR lacks thump below and pressure above. Therefore, the disappointment among VFR drivers should have been great when they found out about the 2006 model, unchanged in displacement and power (109 hp).
The latest version is visually characterized by clear glass indicators at the front and rear, as well as a brushed aluminum cover that protects the double exhaust snugly against the rear. The technical ones, on the other hand, are quite interesting
Detailed solutions. The new VFR easily takes the Euro 3 hurdle because the injection has been revised (including
Nozzles from the CBR 1000 RR) and catalysts with a larger effective surface were used without impairing the performance of the V-four-cylinder.
Honda also changed the switching point of the variable valve timing. Earlier, namely at 6600 instead of 6800 rpm, the second pair of valves now starts working. Conversely, the duo of inlet and outlet valves log off again later, more precisely at 6100 rpm. With this measure one wants to have the criticized hard performance under control.
Practice can confirm this. As before, the V-four-cylinder changes a few hundred revolutions below 7000 rpm? where exactly is difficult to see on the analog tachometer ?? its pitch is clear, and the purring kitten suddenly becomes a snarling tiger; but when switching from two to four valves, the big cat starts jumping noticeably more gently. During enjoyable tours, where you usually change gear in the middle speed range, i.e. exactly where the valves switch on, the transition hardly disturbs the flow of the vehicle. The Honda VFR is also less likely to lose its rhythm with faster, speed-oriented pace. Should the speed level fall well below 7000 revs, the motor does not switch to two-valve operation immediately, but pulls itself out of the bottom with four valves without jerks when the gas is drawn up.
The hope that the technical modifications described would also curb the VFR’s well-known thirst quickly vanished. Even at moderate country road speeds, the consumption was a good 6.5 liters of normal gasoline per hundred kilometers.
Outwardly, the VFR likes for some
looking old, old-fashioned or just conservative. However, that does not change the fact that the five hundred pound sports tourer, once in motion, almost runs by itself: light-footed, round and precise as clockwork. The spring elements respond sensitively, follow floor warping inconspicuously, and bed passengers as if in cotton wool. The rebound and compression levels on the fork are not even adjustable. The standard tires are also well hit. The Bridgestone BT 020 in the special code BB are reliable, stick like glue, even at temperatures close to freezing point. The brakes leave nothing to be desired for a sports tourer. The almost foolproof composite brake system Dual-CBS is standard, and the optional ABS offers the finest control quality and works effectively even on loose surfaces. And it still applies: The VFR is pure wellness program. The sitting position fits like a comfortable slipper. For both small and large. The ergonomics are right. In addition, proper wind protection and a four-beam floodlight system that turns night into day.
Third place in the MOTORRAD–
The best list seems hardly at risk.
That should also be the case soon
The upcoming comparison test with the strengthened competition like Ducati ST3 S, MZ 1000 ST and Triumph Sprint ST do not shake. Many VFR fans, however, will not care. You are still waiting for a larger-capacity variant.
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